Riff: Bad Brains – “Jah Love”

We figured if they didn’t mind us being black/We didn’t mind them being white

This straight dub/reggae jam is packed with samples of old interviews depicting Bad Brains’ past cultural impact, all between reminders that Rastafari are about more than dreadlocks – a perfect showcase of their “so-what-we’re-the-only-black-punk-band” mentality.

Riff by Karl Ernest

Karl is a Seattle-based musician and writer at SONGLYRICS; a veteran of both east and west-coast scenes, he has performed with the likes of The Ying Yang Twins, David Arquette, Wynton Marsalis, among others. But he's no stranger to seedy dives or house shows, either.